Turbo-compressor.



E. w. OsTER. TURBO COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1911.

1,032,147. Patented July 9, 1912.

- pressor into sections, required two heads vised the ERNST WILHELM KGSTER, OF FRANKFORT-dN-THE-MAIN, GERMANY.

TURBO-COMPRESSOR.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNST WILHELM Kos- TER, a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of F rankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbo Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

It is well known that compression increases the temperature of the air or other medium subjected to compression, and in notary compressors or turbo compressors working in two or more stages two expedients have been employed hitherto for the purpose of carrying away the heat produced by compression. According to one method, the air is caused to pass along cooling surfaces provided within the apparatus. Ac-

cording to the other method the compressor is constructed in separate sections and between these are interposed individual coolers through which passes'the medium to be compressed.

The use of intermediate coolers offers the advantage of allowing the cooling surfaces to be given any desired size, whereas cooling devices arranged within the compressor proper are of course limited in size by the dimensions of such compressor. On the other hand, a compressor having intermediate coolers as constructed hitherto, presents the drawback of great length and of high first cost, since the subdivision of the comas carried out hitherto, with their stutfing boxes and bearings for each compressor section, the medium under treatment passing from the last stage of one compressor section to the intermediate cooler and from the latter to the first stage of thenext'compressor section. To avoid these drawbacks I have depresent improved construction, according to which I inte ose, between two wheels of the compressoR a stationary section forming part of the casing and containing two chambers provided with connections one of which conveys the hot compressed fluid to the cooler and the other receives the cooled fluid to convey it to the next compressor section. With this construction, the coolin surfaces may be made as large as desired, irrespective of the dimensions of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 1, 1911.

Patented July 9, 1912. Serial No. 618,284.

shown in the accompanying drawing, partly in side elevation and partly in section.

The apparatus shown may be used, say for compressing air, and comprises SIlCCQSSlYG compressor wheels 1 mounted at intervals upon a shaft 3 journaled in bearings 2, the

or apshaft and wheels being of any usual proved construction. The wheels are surrounded by the stationary guide rings 4, which receive the air thrown radially outward by the rotary wheels 1 and by means of deflecting channels 5 direct such air first radially inward and then axially to feed it to the next compressor wheel 1. The housing or casing of the com ressor consists of two end members or hea s 6 provided with connections 7 and 8 for the admission and delivery of the air' respectively, and a series of intermediate annular sections 9 which contain the guide rings for are made integral therewith. Preferably, as shown, the several sections 9 are alike, or at least their ends are alike.

Between two of the casing sections 9 is located a section 10 for making connection with a cooler. As shown this intermediate section 10 has a vhub 11 surrounding the shaft 3 and flanges 12 for connection with the adjacent sections 9. Any suitable means may be employed for holding together the sections 6, 9 and 10. A partition 15 divides the section 10 into two adjoining chambers 13 and 14. H

The chamber 13 is annular and provided with a partition 18 at the side nearest to the adjacent section 9, said partition forming a wall of the chamber in which the air is thrown outwardly by the corresponding rotary wheel 1, and into the chamber 13, through an annular passage 13'. The air thus propelled can therefore be taken from, the compressor through the tubular connection 16 and conveyed to a cooler 20 of any suitalle size and construction.

The air coming from the cooler is returned to the compressor through a connection 17 leading into the chamber 14. a partition 19 being located on the outlet side of said chamber. Xear the shaft 3, there is an axial passage 14* through which the cooled air is delivered from the chamber 14 to the next compressor wheel. In the construction shown, the casing section 10 also comprises one of the walls of the next guide ring 4 so that the air passing through the opening 14 will be directed by the guide channel of said ring, in an axial direction uniformly to the entire circumference of the next compressor wheel 1. The particular cooler 20 shown in the drawing comprises a system of pipes 21 around which water circulates, but any other suitable construction may be employed. The partly compressed air leaving through the connection 16 passes through the cooler 20 and after being cooled therein is returned through the connection 17 and then further compressed in the compressor. The cooling may bring the air to its original temperature or even below it.

While I have shown but one intermediate casing section 10 with connections to a cooler, it will be readily understood that the comressor may be constructed with two or more such sections and connections. Furthermore, internal surface cooling arrangements of the customary character may be provided in conjunction with the improved arrangement for intermediate cooling described herein. In the drawing, the intermediate section 10 is placed centrally with respect to the sections 9; it will be evident, however, that the section 10 may be interposed with equal ease between adjacent compressor sections 9 at any other point of the apparatus, thus obtaining different results as regards compression and cooling, simply by assembling the parts in different ways, without altering their construction. It is not absolutely necessary that the entire amount of partly compressed air taken through the connection 16 should be passed through the cooler and returned to the compressor, but a portion of such air may be withdrawn at 22 and utilized atonce, as in cases where it is desired to use compressed air of different pressures. These and other modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A multistage rotary compressor comprising a plurality of co-axial compressor section an intermediate casing section in terposed betweeis, two compressor sections,

said section being divided into two com- 'partments communicating respectively with the adjacent compressor sections, and a cooler interposed in the path of the fluid from one of said compartments to the other.

2. A multistage rotary compressor comprising a plurality of co-axial compressor sections, an intermediate casing section interposed between two compressor sections, said section being divided into two compartments communicating respectively with the adjacent compressor sections, and a cooler, extraneous to all of the said sections and connected with said compartments in such a manner as to be interposed in the path of the fluid from one compartment to the other.

3. The combination of bearings, a shaft supported therein, a fluid-tight casing extending from one bearing to the other and comprising spaced sections, rotary compressor wheels secured to the shaft within said sections, and an intermediate casing section between said compressor sections, said section being divided into two compartments communicatingrespectively with the adjacent compressor sections, and a cooler interposed in the path of the fluid from one of said compartments to the other.

4. The combination of spaced compressor sections, an intermediate section between said compressor sections, said intermediate 95 section having a partition dividing it into two compartments, and also end walls adjacent to the adjoining compressor sections, said end walls having annular passages, one near the center and the other at the periph- 100 ery respectively, for communication wit the adjoining compressor sections, and a cooler connected with said compartments and interposed in the path of the fluid from one compartment to the other.

5. A multistage rotary compressor comprising a plurality of like compressor sections arranged co-axially, an intermediate casing section adapted to be interposed between any two of said compressor sect-ions, no and divided into two compartments communicating respectively with the adjacent compressor sections, and a cooler inter osed in the path of the fluid from one 0 said compartments to the other. 7115 6. A multistage rotary compressor comprising a plurality of compressor sections and an intermediate section, all of said sections having ends of like construction so that the intermediate section may be interposed between any two of said compressor sections, said section being divided into two compartments communicating respectively with the adjacent compressor sections, and a cooler interposed in the path of the fluid 1 from one of said compartments to the other.

7. A multistage rotary compressor comprising a plurality of co-axial compressor sections. an intermediate casing section interposed between two compressor sections 1 and provided with a stationary partition specification in the presence of two subscribsubdividing it into two com artments coming wltnesses.

municating respectively wit the adjacent ERNST NILHELM KCSTER compressor sectl ons, and a cooler interposed in the path of the fluid from one compart- Witnesses;

ment to the other. JEAN GRUND, In testimony whereof, I have signed this f CARnGRUND.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gonimissioner o! Patentn.

Washington. D. 0. 

